The field of this invention is that of fuel supply systems for internal combustion engines and the invention relates more particularly to a fuel supply system having electrical heater means arranged to prevent freeze-up of throttle body means or the like in the system, particularly as fuel is evaporated in the system to be furnished to the engine in an air-fuel mixture.
When air or an air-fuel mixture is furnished to an internal combustion engine through throttle body means in a carbureted fuel supply system, in a throttle body injection system, or in a direct port fuel injection system or the like where the throttle body controls the amount of air available to the engine or the like, there is a tendency for some components of the system, particularly components such as the throttle bearings or the like of the throttle body means, to freeze-up and operate poorly or to fail to operate under some atmospheric or driving conditions. Such freeze-up tends to occur particularly as operation of an internal combustion engine is initiated. It would be desirable if heat could be provided to the fuel system as soon as engine operation is initiated to counteract this tendency of freeze-up to occur in the throttle body means.